County Administration

You are here:

Tickets for John Grisham, Stephen King now on sale

Oct 13, 2015

MANATEE COUNTY, FL (Oct. 13, 2015) – Public tickets are now on sale for “Book-Ends: An Evening with Two Literary Giants,” Manatee Library Foundation’s marquee fundraiser a January, 2016 event at State College of Florida’s Neel Performing Arts Center. Thriller novelist John Grisham will headline the Jan. 19, 2016 event. Stephen King, last year’s Foundation speaker, will also be a part of the event and will interview Grisham on stage.

Event organizers say already more than $120,000 has been raised in sponsorship packages to “Book-Ends.” Public tickets are $150 and are available by phone, mail and at Central Library.

“We’ve had tremendous support from sponsors around the region, but I’m so happy to say that there are a good number of tickets available for the public,” said event chair Susan Wilcox. “All proceeds will benefit our public library system, and people will have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see two of the preeminent authors of our time.”

Organizers are hoping to sell out the 832-seat venue and to raise $175,000 for the Library System.

Tickets may be purchased by phone by calling (941) 216-8746 or (941) 718-7733. Phones will be monitored from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday and checked occasionally on the weekend. Purchasers should leave their name and phone number and the call will be returned.

Central Library will offer a limited number of tickets on Thursday, Oct. 15 and Friday, Oct. 16, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., only. Patrons can also purchase tickets online by filling out and returning by mail a General Admission Order Form that will be posed online the Foundation’s website (www.manateelibraryfoundation.org) on Oct. 15.

Credit card purchases can be made in person and over the phone, but online purchases are not available.

Northern Trust Bank is the event’s presenting sponsor.

Sponsorship packages from $7,500 (reception sponsor) to $300 (patron) are available online or by calling (941) 216-8746. Thirty State College of Florida students will attend the event compliments of the Anne and Eugene Beckstein Charitable Trust.

Last year’s “An Evening with Stephen King” raised more than $100,000 to benefit Manatee County Public Library System. That money went toward the purchase of a new integrated library system (ILS) in Manatee libraries that launches Oct. 1. The new system will give patrons a new, modern way of accessing library materials.

The Foundation will also give away a ticket to the King event to the winner of a Flash Fiction contest challenging amateur writers to submit a 250-word piece of fiction or poetry inspired by a photo posted on the new 805lit.org site.

One winner will be announced in January. (If a minor wins the contest, he or she will be awarded two tickets for guardian accompaniment.)

Grisham’s books have sold more than 275 million copies worldwide. His most popular titles include The Firm, A Time to Kill, The Client and The Pelican Brief. A new title, The Rogue Lawyer, will be released in October.

###

The Library Foundation Inc.’s mission is to ensure that the Manatee County Public Library System obtains and manages needed supplemental funds and support to achieve its potential today and tomorrow as an indispensable community resource. Find them online at www.manateelibraryfoundation.org and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/manateecountylibraryfoundation